The Right Way to Slice Flank Steak

You grilled the most gorgeous flank steak, complete with restaurant-worthy sear marks and all. After letting it rest for five to ten minutes (you really shouldn’t skip this step), here’s how to dissect it.

What you’ll need: A sharp knife and a flank steak cooked to your liking

What to do: Lay the steak on a cutting board and locate the grain. To do this, look for the direction in which the muscle fibers are aligned. Then place your knife perpendicular (not parallel) to the grain to slice against it. Note: Typically with flank steak, this means you will be cutting widthwise instead of lengthwise. Go ahead and carefully slice away.

Why it’s important: Slicing meat against the grain gives you a more tender piece of meat. Since you are breaking up the muscle fibers by cutting them shorter, the meat won’t be as tough to chew through.